-By: Lt. Gen. (Retd.) A.S. Bhullar

Everyone craves for peace and contentment in his or her life. Very few get it. The Holy Scriptures points out to the craving of the people for happiness (Sukh) but its turning out to be only pain (Dukh). This subject and the enigma of whether a person will get Sukh or Dhukh has been studied by all spiritual leaders. All have arrived at the same conclusion i.e. a person’s Dukh is his own making. Lord Budha has termed it as attachment. Some scriptures have called it ego (Haumain). At other places it is named as pride (Ahankar). All the confusion arises due to ignorance (Agyan) of one’s self and the failure to recongnise the Supreme Lord of all creation.

Before proceeding further, it may be worthwhile to examine the process of getting contentment or feeling contented. You have desires, wishes (Vasna), wants and dreams. When these get fulfilled, you are contented. Now comes the catch. There is no end to a man’s desires. Once one desire is fulfilled, another rises in its place. This unquenchable thirst of desires is never ending. There are the simple physical desires of food, clothing, water, and shelter. Then there are the subtle desires of position, fame, name, and recognition.

There is also the so-called hierarchy of desires. The lower level desires are food and water. The higher level are bungalows, car TV, etc. it is presumed that once lower level desires are satisfied, higher level desires crop up. The desires are universally applicable to all ages, times and people. Children may have different sets of desires such as toys, comics, etc. adults and grown ups will have another set of desires. No one in any country or climate is rid of this malady.

We may now summarise the malady. Firstly, every one has one desires or the other. No sooner one desire is satisfied, another crops up. Secondly, contentment may occur when a desire is fulfilled but it is short-lived. The same desire or others crop up again to drive away our feelings of contentment.

So it seems that the malady is in the occurrence of desires and non-fulfillment thereof. Can a person be desireless? What are desires, after all? It seems that we have to locate the very source of desires and then destroy or at least negate it. The source of all desires is ‘Me’ or ‘Mine’. This is Me and this is Mine. How nice it will be to have riches, children, house, jewellery, goods, services, relations, respect, name, fame, love, affection, etc. There is a need and drive for acquisition, domination and being one better than the other. It all comes from the thought of ‘I’.

A little reflection will reveal that this ‘I’ is quite illusory. Is ‘I’ the body, which was born and would die? Is ‘I’ the consciousness, which sees and interprets the wold and its working? Is ‘I’ the inner desire for more and better things all the time? One has to conclude that the ‘I’ and the consequent desires are all these things put together. This maze of ‘I’ and the world is termed as Being (Jiva) and the Super Being, God. There is the embodied soul (Jivatma) lost in this world of Illusion (Maya) which is controlled by God (Parmatma). It is an ever-lasting snare into, which the human being has been ensnared. There does not seem to be an outlet to this never-ending treadmill of self, desires of the self, and hence the lack of contentment.

The solution to this apparently unsolvable problem is offered by the saints. The first step is to realise the basic nature of this world and the power behind it - the Formless God (Nirankar), which can be shown to a true devotee as the Limitless Power behind all things. Everything, including self, the world, the universe, desires, aspirations, arises out of it and falls back into it. A human being is a very small insignificant part of the creation. The creation itself draws its sustenance from the Creator, which is Nirankar. Though created by the creator, the creation is inherently transitory. The only ever-lasting reality is the Nirankar. Rest is all illusory, transitory and short-lived. Attachment to any transitory thing will itself be transitory. It is like falling in love with a bird, which comes into your garden once and then flies away.

The true saints know all this and are not moved by worldly things. Their minds are fixed on Nirankar and they ever enjoy the everlasting bliss. For example, they do not say, ‘God, give me this because I desire it.’ Instead, they say, ‘God, think you for what you have given me. I have no desire or need for what you have not given.’ A true devotee considers all his material possessions as a gift from God and uses them as a trustee. Any addition to this material possession is treated in the same way. Also there is no hankering and whining if you do not have which others may possess.

Well, how is this miracle to occur? How is it that a human being can get this viewpoint of contentment? It all comes out of Satguru’s gift to a devotee. The Satguru explains the true nature of self and Nirankar. The knowledge thus imparted is further strengthened by Service (Sewa). Remembrance of God’s name (Simran) and keeping company of true saints (Satsang). This is the way of the Universal Brotherhood.

Almost a similar solution is offered by Holy Bible: "Count thy blessings," it says. A selfish person will always concentrate on what he does not have rather than what he has. If one was to concentrate on all the bounties and gifts of God, which we take for granted, we would realise the true benevolent nature of God. He is all merciful and bountiful. It is only the selfish nature of man, which prevents him to realise the true greatness of the Lord. He is the Supreme Giver (Datar) and most generous (Sakhi). He is forever showering His gifts on His creation. Alas, the ignorant man does not see it but concentrates on only what he does not have.

A story illustrates the point further. A poor man went to a saint and narrated his tale of woe and misery. He wanted riches and money. He was informed that a way can be found if he is willing to part with what he has. He readily agreed and was asked to come the next day. When he eagerly arrived the next day, he was given a choice of 1 lakh or 2 lakh rupees. He was over joyed and wanted to know what he had to part with. But he become dejected when informed that by donating both his legs he can get 1 lakh and by donating both his eyes, 2 lakh rupees. ‘How am I to enjoy my wealth if I lose my legs or eyes?’ Thereafter, the saint explained to him the riches he already had, that is, Rs.1 lakh worth of legs and Rs. 2 lakh worth of eyes. Hence he is quite rich by comparison and should not hanker after what he does not have.

‘Contentment’ or "Santokh’ only comes as a result of enlightenment and shedding of ego. A true devotee works in a self-less (Nishkam) manner, donating all his labour and work to the Lord Almighty, and accepting what the good Lord gives in return. He then is the truly blissful individual, ever content and ever happy. Such a state of mind is possible and demonstrable by the saints of the Universal Brotherhood - Nirankari Mission.